Shower attachment



Sept. 9, 19 69 L. HALPERN 3,465,968

SHOWER ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 15. 1967 3| FIG. 3 4

v /NVEN729R: LOUIS HALPERN by (Pd; 1. 72%,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,465,968 SHOWER ATTACHMENT Louis Halpern, 2275Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11214 Filed Dec. 15, 1967, Ser. No.691,029 Int. Cl. Bb 1/26 U.S. Cl. 239-504 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A pivoted support structure secures a screen in front of aconventional shower head to improve the spray issuing therefrom. Thesupport structure and the screen fold fiat for packaging.

Background of the invention When water jets are broken up into dropletsof different sizes as when impinging at high velocity on an object, someionization takes place with resulting negative ionization of the air inthe vicinity. This phenomenon, that of ionization of water on impactwith solids, is explained in the work Static Electrification by Prof.Leonard B. Loeb of the University of California at Berkeley which waspublished by Springer-Verlag in Berlin, Germany in 1958. This effect isdiscussed in the chapter dealing with waterfall spray electrificationand the ionization of air in the vicinity of a waterfall.

The negative ionization of air by the impact of spray onto a surface isalso discussed in the paper Atmospheric Electricity in a TypicalAmerican Bathroom by E. T. Pierce and A. L. Whitson of the StanfordResearch Institute, Menlo Park, Calif, published in the periodicalWeather, volume XXI, No. 12, December 1966. It is indicated in thispaper and in many other sources that negative ionization produces afeeling of well-being and may be healthful. This invention is for adevice to produce such ionization from a shower spray.

Summary of the invention The shower attachment of this invention has aclamp portion which is fixed about the pipe fitting by which aconventional shower head is secured, arms pivotally secured to the clampportion to extend on each side of a shower head, and a screen of from 20to 80 mesh pivotally secured to the lower ends of the arms in front ofthe shower head so that spray from the shower head may impinge upon andpass through the screen to cause ionization. In addition, the screen andthe arms can be pivoted out of the shower head spray when desired, andthe screen and the clamp portion may be pivoted parallel to the arms forpackaging in a fiat configuration.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a front view of a showerhead with the device of this invention attached thereto and positionedfor use;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a shower head with the device of thisinvention partially pivoted to be clear of the shower head spray; and

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device of this invention with the clampportion and screen pivoted parallel to the arms in a flat configuration.

Description of the preferred embodiment FIGURES 1 and 2 show aconventional shower head having a spray control nob 11. Shower head 10is standard in every way and is connected in the usual manner to aone-half inch pipe 12 by a coined female fitting 13. Shower head 10 mayhave a ball and socket connection 14 so that it may be directed asdesired.

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The shower attachment of this invention consists of a clamp 15 havingtwo parts 16 and 17 which are fixed about fitting 13 and secured bymeans of wing bolts 18. A pair of arms 19 and 20 are pivotally securedby the bolts 21 which are screwed into the parts 16 and 17 of clamp 15.Compression springs 22 or the like rotatively position arms 19 and 20 byfriction on bolts 21.

As may be seen in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, the arms 19 and 20 have inwardlybent lower ends 25 and 26. A circular frame 27 has two screws 28extending diametrically outward from it to pass through the lower endsof arms 19 and 20. Compression springs 29 urge the arms 19 and 20inwardly so that the inwardly bent ends 25 and 26 extend under frame 27when it is at right angles to arms 19 and 20 to lock it in thisposition. A screen 31, between 20 and mesh, preferably between 30 and 40mesh, extends across one side of frame 27 and bows out ward in a convexshape.

For packaging or storing, the shower attachment of this invention may beremoved and have its clamp 15 pivoted into the plane of the arms 19 and20. As shown in FIGURE 3, the arms 19 and 20 may be spread outwardsagainst the springs 29 to disengage the ends 25 and 26 from the frame 27so that it may also be pivoted into the plane of the arms 19 and 20.This allows the device of this invention to be sold in a flat box ofsmaller volume.

When using the device of this invention, the wing bolts 18 aredisengaged so that parts 16 and 17 of the clamp 15 may be placed about afemale fitting 13 which is a standard, substantially universal size.Bolts 18 are tightened to complete the attachment and frame 27 andscreen 31 are positioned to receive spray from shower head 10.

The effect of this invention must be experienced to be fullyappreciated. When high velocity jets or sprays of water impinge onscreen 31, a mist of spray of fine droplets covers a bather softlydespite the velocity of the original jets. The use of this inventionappears to require less water for a given washing. Air is entrained withthe fine spray so that hotter original water temperatures may be usedwithout burning a bather. In addition, as may be inferred from thehereinbefore cited reference works, some ionization takes place topromote a feeling of well-being.

If the screen 31 and frame 27 are positioned as shown in FIGURE 1, thecone of spray from shower head 10 will issue at a wider angle fromscreen 31 as a fine mist. If frame 27 and screen 31 are inverted, theangle of the mist spray issuing from screen 31 will be furtherincreased.

When it is desired to use the conventional shower head spray, the arms19 and 20 may pivot to swing screen 31 aside as shown in FIGURE 2. Thesprings 22 secure the arms 19 and 20 by friction in whatever positionthey are placed.

While this invention has been shown and described in the best formknown, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplaryand that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A shower attachment for use with a conventional shower head having aconnecting female fitting, said attachment comprising, in combination, aclamp having two parts, means securing said two parts of said clampabout the female fitting of a shower head, two arms having upper andlower'ends, the upper ends of said arms being pivotally fixed to theparts of said clamp to extend below a shower head on each side of ashower head, a frame pivotally fixed between the lower ends of saidarms, and a screen between 20 and 80 mesh fixed in said frame.

2. The combination according to claim 1 with the ad- 5. The combinationaccording to claim 4 wherein said dition of spring means rotativelypositioning said arms screen is between 30 and 40 mesh. by frictionrelative to said clamp.

3. The combination according to claim 2 with the ad- Referenc s Citeddition of means locking said frame normal to the plane 5 UNITED STATESPATENTS of said arms.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the lower ends of saidarms have lnward bends, and sand 1,751,345 3/1930 Matsui 239 504X framehas fastening means extending diametrically therefrom passing throughthe lower ends of said arms above said inward bends, and with theaddition of compression l0 EVERETT KIRBY Pnmary Exammer springs aboutsaid fastening means outside said arms U S Cl X R urging said armsinward so that said inward bends extend under said frame locking saidframe in a position normal 239508, 512

to the plane of said arms. 15

